ARRC’s founder and president, Linda Ogren, watched several of her family members battle the stroke recovery process and this fueled her drive to help all stroke survivors. Out of the need for more effective stroke rehabilitation, Linda Ogren researched constraint induced therapy. “Impressed with the evidence, we endeavored to provide this innovative approach to clients who had reached a plateau in their previous therapy programs. In 2002 we established the Advanced Recovery Rehabilitation Center and began by offering constraint induced movement therapy (CIMT) and SaeboFlex Orthosis for upper extremities.” Under the guidance of exceptionally qualified physical, occupational, and speech therapists, ARRC patients received therapy that was unique and different than any therapy they had previously experienced. Stroke patients arrived at the Sherman Oaks, CA, center from all regions of the United States to receive this specialty therapy.

Tami Toms, PT, was the lead physical therapist for ARRC in the Sherman Oaks location from 2006-2010. Realizing that stroke patients found it difficult to travel, Tami developed the in-home therapy program. In 2010, all of ARRC physical therapy services went mobile and their physical location was closed. Tami continued to work with Linda on the mobile model which was a big hit with clients because of cost savings, convenience, and better outcomes from therapy treatments. When Linda exited the therapy field in 2012, she transferred ARRC operations to Tami and Mobile Rehab Physical Therapy, Inc.

A February 12, 2011 article in the Associated Press, Stoke Rehab Doesn’t Have to be High-Tech to Help, inspired us to share some excerpts. The largest study ever on stroke rehab found that doing physical therapy at home improved walking just as well as a high-tech treadmill program. In the home program, a physical therapist helped patients do exercises to improve strength and balance, and to walk every day. Patients who started rehab late – six months after their strokes – still improved. We now have evidence that a prolonged course of therapy will have benefits. For virtually everyone, we should be doing more intensive therapy at home.

A February 14, 2011 article in the Associated Press, Doctors Work to Help Giffords’ Brain Rewire Itself, inspired us to share some of the content with you. These concepts are the foundation on which CIMT is based. A surprising factor is that the brain’s wiring is not fixed. For example, if the damaged part of the brain is small enough, new connections might bring in neighboring neurons to stand in for the dead ones. Or existing connections can be strengthened, allowing neurons to work together more efficiently than they had before. Brain rewiring after injury is like taking back roads when an interstate highway is damaged. Brain rewiring – scientists call it plasticity – is driven by what a patient is learning and experiencing. That’s why patients should get into rehabilitation as soon as possible.